REVIEW - Family cruise on the Freedom - 8/15-20, 2022

[B4May]

Hi all, we are just back from our first post-pandemic cruise on the Carnival Freedom to Amber Cove and Grand Turk, August 15-20, 2022.  I always get a lot of helpful info from reviews so I'll share my thoughts here.   I traveled with my husband and our two boys, 8 & 14 and my mother in two balcony cabins.  This is our 6th cruise overall, and 4th on Carnival.  A LOT has changed since we last cruised in 2019.  Feel free to ask any questions you might have and I'll try to answer them if I can.

 

TL;DR - this is probably our last cruise on Carnival for awhile, we'll probably stick to Norwegian or try out a different line for our next cruise to Alaska in 2023.

[pc_load_letter]

?????

 

So your review is, you're going to stick with NCL? lol

[B4May]

Embarkation - 

Super smooth embarkation process, probably the best we've ever experienced on any cruise.  We flew Southwest from STL to MCO on the same day as the cruise departure.  No problems with the flight at all, and we used GoPort as our transportation to the port.  That was an easy process as well, check in at the airport, we waited about 15 minutes for a shuttle which was a huge bus and we were dropped right at the cruise terminal.  There were porters there to pick up your luggage and they can help you with tags if you didn't tag yours already.

 

One thing to note if you fly is that they ask you to take your wine out of your checked bag and carry it onboard the ship.

 

Our scheduled embarkation time was 10:30-11:00 am and we arrived just slightly later than that so we did not have to wait at all.  They were holding people who arrived before their appointment time.  The lines were long but they had a ton of agents working so it moved quickly.  We used the Verifly app for vaccination verification and took care of setting up our onboard accounts, heath questionnaires, etc online before arrival so the whole check in took maybe 15 minutes.  You do not get your Sign & Sail cards at check in anymore, and if you use a passport, they already have your photo.  They did take a photo of each of our kids since they don't have passports; we were traveling with their birth certificates. 

 

Once onboard, we explored the ship some, got lunch at the buffet and headed up to check on our rooms. When they say rooms are not ready until 1:30pm, they mean it.  We weren't even able to sneak in to grab our S&S cards.  My hubs was irritated by that until we figured out that you can use your boarding pass to get a beer at the bar before your card is ready. 

 

Another tip - cards come with holes now so no need to pack a hole punch or track one down from guest services for your lanyard, or wrist strap.

 

[B4May]

3 minutes ago, pc_load_letter said:

?????

 

So your review is, you're going to stick with NCL? lol

 

I like to separate my reviews into sections to make them easier to read.  Patience grasshopper! 😆

[B4May]

Cabin - 

We had balcony cabins on the Spa (11) Deck, 1106 & 1104.  Standard set up that you can see a million pictures of elsewhere.  The ship is dated though, so expect that.  The TV worked sometimes and sometimes it didn't.  Our safe didn't work.  Water pressure was a mixed bag.  A couple things to note though - in the past, our Spa deck cabins have come with extra perks, like access to the special spa areas, such an indoor thalassotherapy pool, upgraded toiletries, spa robes, slippers, etc.  The Freedom has none of those things.  There is a small sauna and steam room and that's it.  I never went in either but my mom reported that the sauna wasn't even working.

 

The location of these rooms wasn't great either.  Since it's on the top level, there isn't any roof over the balcony, something I didn't think I would mind but it ended up making the balcony mostly unusable because it was unbearably hot.  This was our first cruise in the summer so my fault for not realizing that.  We didn't have any issue with privacy as we were far forward enough where the glass wall prevented people from leaning over to look into our balcony.  But it was pretty noisy at all hours with people moving chairs around above us, workers doing maintenance overnight, etc.

 

Also, the lack of roof means you cannot open the partition between adjacent balconies, which we were really disappointed about.  It is so nice to combine two rooms into one large balcony when traveling together. 

 

If I had it to do again, I'd book balconies on the 9th or 10th deck and probably in an aft location instead of forward.

 

[B4May]

Dining - 

This is where Carnival is really struggling right now.  I don't think our cruise was sold out but due to the limited dining options, the lines were LONG.  For everything.  I assume it's due to staffing issues, but they only had one buffet open at lunch until 3:30pm and in the evenings, from 5:30 to 9:30.  Every evening the line on both sides was about 30-50 people deep from the time they opened until 8:30ish.  And after you waited 30 minutes in line, there weren't many choices and the food was lackluster.  The best places for quick dining were the Deli and Guy's burgers, if you could catch them at an off hour to not wait forever.  We managed to get Guy's for late lunch one day when we came back early from the port and it was really delicious.

 

Breakfast was slightly better as they had both buffets open, but still not as many choices as I remember from the past. The line was long for the omelette station too but pro tip: the Sushi window had omelettes in the morning, and there was rarely a line there. 

 

The one dessert bar also had limited choices, usually 3-4 cakes or pies, plus two choices of cookies.  Ice cream was still 24 hours, but they never seemed to have all the ice cream machines open at once so it was a bit of a seek and find figuring out where to go and when.  The one in the aft, near the adult pool is the only one open at night.

 

Much better experience in the dining room.  We had Any Time dining and I liked being able to check in on the Carnival Hub app and then being notified when our table was ready.  We never waited more than 20 minutes for a table.  We were very happy with the choices and the wait staff was excellent.

 

Room service is an extra charge now (I think it used to be free, you just tipped the staff?) but it was never available any time I checked the Hub app.  Nor was advance ordering for the Seafood Shack. 

 

Pizza Pirate near the adult pool was good and open all the time, but due to limited choices elsewhere, the line for it was always really long also. 

 

One tip if the lines are long is to try to catch the BBQ restaurant on the second level above the buffet.  It was only open for lunch but there was never a line and the food was ok.  We went there on embarkation day and were the only ones up there.  

 

Bottom line, we didn't starve but it just wasn't the stellar dining experience I've had on many previous cruises.

 

 

[Kermarkim]

Great information so far.  Did you happen to take any pictures of anything you are willing to share such as your dining room food choices, or any excursions or activities on board?

[B4May]

1 hour ago, Kermarkim said:

Great information so far.  Did you happen to take any pictures of anything you are willing to share such as your dining room food choices, or any excursions or activities on board?

 

I'm glad you asked because that's a big change that I wasn't aware of before this cruise - the Fun Times and the dining menus are no longer printed, everything is on the Hub app so I couldn't really take any pictures. The only printed menus are in the glass display case outside the dining rooms - there are none once you are seated.  Just a QR code on your table.  And when the wait staff comes by, they want you ready to order all three courses right then.

 

I missed having the printed Fun Times.  The Hub app is kind of annoying when trying to see kids activities - you have to filter by each age group to see the kids club schedules.

 

I do have some pictures from the ports that I will share when I do that part of the review.

[B4May]

Ports - Amber Cove

 

Both ports on this itinerary seemed to have a lot to do, so we didn't book any excursions in advance and that proved to be a good choice.  We wanted more of a chill vacation without a bunch of planned activities and that's exactly what we got.  Amber Cove is beautiful, with a huge port area, big pool, kids splash area, lots of activities, food options and shopping.  We docked mid morning and we didn't rush to get off the ship.  We had a leisurely breakfast in the dining room, changed into our swimsuits and headed off ship around 11 am.  No lines and we just walked right off.  The port area was very busy with the Mardi Gras docked also, but we found loungers without problem and spent several hours in the pool, on the slides, in the lazy river and the kids area. 

 

We also walked up to the Sky Bar for a few snacks and drinks.  Lots of steps but worth it for the views - photo below.  That's also where the zip line takes off from, it was $20 for unlimited rides which I thought was very reasonable and looked super fun.

 

If you are looking for somewhere quiet and away from the loud party music of the pool, there is a path down towards the bungalows that leads to a little bar over the water.  There was hardly anyone there, so it was a nice place to stop for a drink and just take in the views.  There were hammocks near this area also that weren't very busy. 

 

The only thing is port is lacking is a nice beach area but if you are going to Grand Turk the next day you'll get the most beautiful beaches ever so you won't miss it here...

 

 

[B4May]

Ports - Grand Turk

 

This was by far the highlight of the trip for us.  Grand Turk is phenomenal.  Yes, the port was busy with the Mardi Gras there again (seems these two ships are on the exact same itinerary this summer, with the Mardi Gras always being just a little ahead of Freedom).

 

We again didn't rush off the ship.  The ship docked early but we still ate a leisurely breakfast, this time at the buffet since most people got off early at this port, before leaving the ship around 9 am.  We explored the port a bit and then walked down the beach just past where all the loungers are set up, a little farther away from the main busy area and found a totally uncrowded stretch of beautiful beach and clear turquoise water.  We just brought bottled water and our towels from the ship to sit on and we had a great time playing in the ocean.  The beach is crazy crowded right there by the pool but less than a quarter mile away it's beautiful and peaceful.  Jack's Shack is a cute little beachside bar area near where we were sitting also.  A little after noon, both boys were tired so we headed back to the ship for lunch and to let them rest.  We finally got to try Guy's burgers since the lines were manageable.  It's a short pier and an easy walk at Grand Turk, so my mom and I decided to go back into port to do some shopping after lunch.  Lots of great shops and some cool sights like a monument highlighting Grand Turk as a splashdown area for NASA.

 

We spent zero dollars at Grand Turk besides shopping and had a great time - for families on a budget, that is just awesome and puts any port at the top of my list.

 

[ninjacat123]

18 minutes ago, B4May said:

Ports - Grand Turk

 

This was by far the highlight of the trip for us.  Grand Turk is phenomenal.  Yes, the port was busy with the Mardi Gras there again (seems these two ships are on the exact same itinerary this summer, with the Mardi Gras always being just a little ahead of Freedom).

 

We again didn't rush off the ship.  The ship docked early but we still ate a leisurely breakfast, this time at the buffet since most people got off early at this port, before leaving the ship around 9 am.  We explored the port a bit and then walked down the beach just past where all the loungers are set up, a little farther away from the main busy area and found a totally uncrowded stretch of beautiful beach and clear turquoise water.  We just brought bottled water and our towels from the ship to sit on and we had a great time playing in the ocean.  The beach is crazy crowded right there by the pool but less than a quarter mile away it's beautiful and peaceful.  Jack's Shack is a cute little beachside bar area near where we were sitting also.  A little after noon, both boys were tired so we headed back to the ship for lunch and to let them rest.  We finally got to try Guy's burgers since the lines were manageable.  It's a short pier and an easy walk at Grand Turk, so my mom and I decided to go back into port to do some shopping after lunch.  Lots of great shops and some cool sights like a monument highlighting Grand Turk as a splashdown area for NASA.

 

We spent zero dollars at Grand Turk besides shopping and had a great time - for families on a budget, that is just awesome and puts any port at the top of my list.

 

Love Jack's Shack!  Thanks for the heads up about the little bar over the water in Amber Cove.  Looking forward to the rest of your review!

[dancer_mom]

We are sailing the Freedom in a month! Thanks for all the information so far. Sad to hear the food lines were crazy - we knew this might be a possibility... at least we will be mentally prepared.

 

I do have a question about port days. Do you know if pools, waterslides, guys burgers etc. are all open when the ship is in port? We are doing Nassau, Princess Cay, and Grand Turk and are considering staying on the ship in Nassau to have a quieter day poolside with our tweens.

 

We are really looking forward to Grand Turk since we have never been there! Looks beautiful.

[B4May]

15 hours ago, dancer_mom said:

We are sailing the Freedom in a month! Thanks for all the information so far. Sad to hear the food lines were crazy - we knew this might be a possibility... at least we will be mentally prepared.

 

I do have a question about port days. Do you know if pools, waterslides, guys burgers etc. are all open when the ship is in port? We are doing Nassau, Princess Cay, and Grand Turk and are considering staying on the ship in Nassau to have a quieter day poolside with our tweens.

 

We are really looking forward to Grand Turk since we have never been there! Looks beautiful.

 

Yes, everything stayed open on port days.  We came back to the ship for lunch at Grand Turk and were able to snag Guy's burgers with a minimal line.  Another tip for the pool even on sea days is to get up early-ish and head to the pool first thing.  Almost every day, the pool was fairly quiet until the DJ starts blaring music at 11 am.  We usually got there around 9 am and could get loungers pool side with no problem.  The boys spent a couple hours playing in the pool, doing the slides, etc. and then we'd flee when the club party started. 😄  Seriously, it was so dang loud you couldn't even have a conversation.

 

[B4May]

Entertainment/Activities Onboard - 

 

The shows were pretty good - not outstanding, but on par with what we've seen on other ships.  Our favorite was probably 80s Pop to the Max; it was cheesy but fun and the songs we're mostly in range for the singers.  88 Keys was the "non production" show; just the singers in black on the stage, no set.  The last night was Getaway Island, again cheesy with beach themed music but fun.  The other show was the Deal or No Deal game show which we did not attend.

 

We all thought the best singer we saw onboard was Morgan - she was in the bars throughout the week and was the opening act for Getaway Island.  The two violin players that had shows in the atrium several times were also really great.

 

We also really enjoyed the comedians onboard - both Julie Scoggins and Tommy Drake.  We saw both PG shows as we had our 14 yo with us but both were very funny.

 

For family activities, we enjoyed the mini golf course and the games set up in Red Frog Pub.  That was kind of a hidden secret  - way in the back of the pub, there is corn hole, shuffleboard, foosball, darts, and some table games. We checked out the library for the board games as well, but they only had Risk and Headbandz.

 

I also had a really great experience in the spa.  I booked the Sea Salt Body Scrub for late evening on embarkation day to kick off my trip.  While it was a weird kind of side room where I had my treatment, it was one of the best massages I've ever had.  The whole treatment was supposed to take 50 minutes, but the salt scrub was a half hour, and the massage after I rinsed off was almost an hour!  It was heavenly.  My mom also had a facial that she really enjoyed.  That was our first experience with spa services onboard and we would both highly recommend them!

 

[B4May]

Around the Ship - 

 

There weren't as many hidden gem type places on the Freedom like we've found on other ships.  We enjoyed the Serenity Deck when the kids were otherwise occupied - there was a tiny bar there that was never very busy.  The clamshell loungers up there are way overrated - most of the time there were people sleeping in them but on the one occasion I found one empty, it was very uncomfortable to sit in because the cushion just slips out from under you.  I could not understand why they were so popular. 🤷‍♀️  Serenity is a great place to have coffee and watch the sunrise though, if you don't have a balcony (or your balcony is facing the wrong way in the morning.)

 

We did also enjoy the ping pong and pool table on Deck 11; that was the first time I'd seen a pool table on a ship so that was a fun surprise.

 

Overall, the Freedom is looking very dated and in need of an overhaul.  It's very hard to tell that it underwent dry dock as recently as 2019.  I'm not sure if it was because this was a summer cruise, but it definitely had a more loud, raucous party atmosphere than I anticipated.  It felt like spring break without the college kids.  We still enjoyed our cruise, especially for the cheap price that we paid but we will likely look elsewhere in the future for more dining options, updated cabins, a little more upscale atmosphere, etc. I would definitely visit Amber Cove and Grand Turk again as they were easily the highlight and among the best ports we've visited on any cruise.

 

If anyone has specific questions about our sailing, feel free to ask!

 

 

 

 

[ninjacat123]

4 minutes ago, B4May said:

Around the Ship - 

 

There weren't as many hidden gem type places on the Freedom like we've found on other ships.  We enjoyed the Serenity Deck when the kids were otherwise occupied - there was a tiny bar there that was never very busy.  The clamshell loungers up there are way overrated - most of the time there were people sleeping in them but on the one occasion I found one empty, it was very uncomfortable to sit in because the cushion just slips out from under you.  I could not understand why they were so popular. 🤷‍♀️  Serenity is a great place to have coffee and watch the sunrise though, if you don't have a balcony (or your balcony is facing the wrong way in the morning.)

 

We enjoy the clamshells in Serenity for the shade and a bit of privacy.  The cushions do scoot around, you're right!  Thanks again for your great review.  Really enjoyed it!

[bambam]

Thank you for the very informative reviews, especially on AC and GT, two islands we haven’t been to.  On the Freedom, Pebbles and I have set time dining at 6:00pm. Can you tell me which dining room is the one we go to when we get onboard (to request a table for 2-only). Thanks.😀

[BarbieGee]

On 8/22/2022 at 12:48 PM, B4May said:

Dining - 

This is where Carnival is really struggling right now.  I don't think our cruise was sold out but due to the limited dining options, the lines were LONG.  For everything.  I assume it's due to staffing issues, but they only had one buffet open at lunch until 3:30pm and in the evenings, from 5:30 to 9:30.  Every evening the line on both sides was about 30-50 people deep from the time they opened until 8:30ish.  And after you waited 30 minutes in line, there weren't many choices and the food was lackluster.  The best places for quick dining were the Deli and Guy's burgers, if you could catch them at an off hour to not wait forever.  We managed to get Guy's for late lunch one day when we came back early from the port and it was really delicious.

 

Breakfast was slightly better as they had both buffets open, but still not as many choices as I remember from the past. The line was long for the omelette station too but pro tip: the Sushi window had omelettes in the morning, and there was rarely a line there. 

 

The one dessert bar also had limited choices, usually 3-4 cakes or pies, plus two choices of cookies.  Ice cream was still 24 hours, but they never seemed to have all the ice cream machines open at once so it was a bit of a seek and find figuring out where to go and when.  The one in the aft, near the adult pool is the only one open at night.

 

Much better experience in the dining room.  We had Any Time dining and I liked being able to check in on the Carnival Hub app and then being notified when our table was ready.  We never waited more than 20 minutes for a table.  We were very happy with the choices and the wait staff was excellent.

 

Room service is an extra charge now (I think it used to be free, you just tipped the staff?) but it was never available any time I checked the Hub app.  Nor was advance ordering for the Seafood Shack. 

 

Pizza Pirate near the adult pool was good and open all the time, but due to limited choices elsewhere, the line for it was always really long also. 

 

One tip if the lines are long is to try to catch the BBQ restaurant on the second level above the buffet.  It was only open for lunch but there was never a line and the food was ok.  We went there on embarkation day and were the only ones up there.  

 

Bottom line, we didn't starve but it just wasn't the stellar dining experience I've had on many previous cruises.

 

 

You went in August. I am hoping that as the months roll into winter the staffing issues will get better and the food issues will improve. 🙏